'I have nothing' - Huge anger as people feel abandoned by government after Storm Éowyn

Frustration continues to mount across the country as thousands are still left without power following Storm Éowyn on Friday.

The Status Red storm tore through the country last week leaving over 760,000 people without electricity and thousands more without water. In the latest update from the ESB, as of Tuesday around 168,000 people remain without power.

Now in day five of restoration efforts, Ireland has sought help from Europe to aid in the clean-up following the historic storm. The ESB said that further support has arrived from Austria and Finland on Tuesday while additional crews from electricity network operators in Netherlands and France are due to arrive in the coming days.

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This is not the first time the country has needed to look for international support following a storm. The EU and the UK also came to the rescue in December following Storm Darragh.

The frustration with the pace of progress has been directed at the government and their failure to prepare for such events. The Dáil has yet to resume following last week's nomination of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach which has caused further annoyance among many people who feel they have been abandoned by the government to face the crisis alone. 

Speaking on RTÉ's Liveline on Tuesday, one caller said that there has been no support from local or national government. He expressed his confusion as to why the Dáil has not yet resumed given the extent of the issue across the country, saying: "They've been off long enough."

Indeed, the host Katie Hannon agreed that "the mood in the country has darkened in the last few days" as the crisis continues to affect thousands. Another caller said they had to travel to even call into the radio show as she is still without electricity or broadband. She explained: "At home I have nothing."

Other callers highlighted that this is actually a health issue for the likes of elderly people and infants. A woman who works with elderly patients with dementia in Mayo, Gráinne, said that emergency text lines are no good for older people who are unwell as some people like her patients rely solely on emergency alert bracelets. 

Many have praised the work of ESB crews across the country who are tirelessly working to restore power. For most people, the frustration stems from the lack of infrastructure in place to deal with such adverse weather. 

One person shared on X: "Can’t praise the workers of the ESB enough for getting us back to power. The government on the other hand should be ashamed of themselves - no assistance/care given to the areas still without power or water going into the 4th day."

Can’t praise the workers of the ESB enough for getting us back to power. The government on the other hand should be ashamed of themselves - no assistance/care given to the areas still without power or water going into the 4th day https://t.co/mjbKyTxGqm

— Melissa Eager (@melissa_eager) January 27, 2025

Another said: "Just passed an ESB crew still out working in the dark, wet and cold to try & get peoples homes back up and running. They deserve major credit for the manner in which they have responded to the destruction that was caused."

In response to the growing agitation, Minister for Housing James Browne appeared on RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Tuesday morning to defend the government's response. He argued: "Everything has been done. Nothing has been left behind by any state agency in terms of getting services back."

He continued to say that lessons are learned from every event such as this and so a review from Storm Éowyn will inform the government how to best prepare for future events.

However, as recent weather events such as Storm Darragh also left people stranded for days without power, it seems as though lessons have not yet been learned.